What to Watch For: Dover International Speedway
CONCORD, N.C. -- The finale of the Challenger Round of the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup is on deck.
On Sunday, the Chase heads to Dover International Speedway, and the 16-driver field will be narrowed to 12.
With so much on the line, Jimmie Johnson said racing at Dover will make it all the more interesting.
"It's not a forgiving racetrack, so a small mistake there can clean an individual out -- or four or five," Johnson said. "I think it's going to be an exciting race, especially with four in a position -- or five, because I know the points are all pretty tight -- you probably have five or six that have a lot of pressure on them right now. So it's going to be an exciting race."
Below are some key notes to keep an eye on during Sunday's event, which is scheduled for 2 p.m. ET and will air on ESPN.
THIS WEEK'S PAINT SCHEMES: Jeff Gordon will drive a specially designed No. 24 Drive to End Hunger Chevrolet SS, featuring an orange paint scheme with an orange ribbon for Hunger Action Month. Kasey Kahne will drive the No. 5 Farmers Insurance Chevrolet SS, Jimmie Johnson will drive the black No. 48 Lowe's/Kobalt Tools Chevrolet SS and Dale Earnhardt Jr. will drive the No. 88 National Guard Chevrolet SS.
WIN AND ADVANCE: A win by any driver would mark Hendrick Motorsports' 229th all-time and would also automatically put that driver into the Contender Round of the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup.
CHALLENGER UPDATE: With one race remaining before the 16-driver Challenger Round is cut to 12, Johnson leads Hendrick Motorsports drivers at fourth place in the standings. He has a 31-point advantage over 13th place, which would be the first driver eliminated. Earnhardt is next in sixth followed by Gordon in seventh. They have cushions of 28 and 21 points, respectively, over 13th place. Kahne is also currently inside the cut line in 11th, with a six-point lead over 13th place.
APPROACHING 200: This weekend, Hendrick Motorsports could reach yet another milestone. With one more Sprint Cup Series pole position, the organization will have earned 200 in its 30-year history. Currently, Hendrick Motorsports sits at 199 poles, with Gordon and Johnson combining for three so far in the 2014 season.
HENDRICK AT DOVER: In 195 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series starts at Dover, Hendrick Motorsports has 16 wins, 52 top-five finishes and 86 top-10s. Johnson has won the last two consecutive races at Dover, leading a combined 515 laps in the process. The victories gave Johnson his eighth and ninth career wins at the one-mile oval, leaving him alone atop the all-time wins leaderboard at the track, ahead of Hall of Famers Bobby Allison and Richard Petty with seven apiece. Gordon has contributed another four wins to Hendrick Motorsports’ total and ranks first among active drivers in top-five finishes (17) and top-10s (24) at Dover.
DOVER DOMINATION: In 25 starts, Johnson has visited Victory Lane nine times. He has an average start of 10.0 and an average finish of 8.4. Johnson has 13 top-five finishes and 18 top-10s. Additionally, Johnson has led 2,976 laps around the Monster Mile and is the winningest driver at the one-mile concrete track. Johnson has three pole positions and won two of those races in 2009 and 2010. Johnson became the winningest driver at Dover on Sept. 29, 2013, when he surpassed the record previously held by Allison and Petty.
GORDON AT DOVER: The 43-year-old driver has four wins and four poles in 43 starts at Dover. Gordon’s 17 top-five finishes and 24 top-10s are tops among active drivers at the concrete track. He has led 200 or more laps on five occasions at Dover. In September of 1995, he led 400 of 500 laps en route to his first victory at the high-banked track, and he paced the field for 381 of 400 laps in June of 2001 to capture his fourth victory. In May of 1998, Gordon led 375 of 400 laps but finished third after a late-race pit stop for fuel.
EARNHARDT AT DOVER: In 29 Cup starts at Dover International Speedway, Earnhardt has one win, one pole position, six top-five finishes and 11 top-10s. He has led 448 laps and completed 99.1 percent of all laps he's attempted (11,505 of 11,604 total) at the Monster Mile. Last September, Earnhardt started from the pole position and finished second to teammate Johnson.
KAHNE AT DOVER: Kahne, driver of the No. 5 Farmers Insurance Chevrolet SS, has one top-five finish and five top-10s and has led 90 laps in 21 Sprint Cup Series starts at Dover. He earned his best finish of fourth at the track in October 2011, after starting from the ninth position. Overall, Kahne has eight starts inside the top 10 at the one-mile oval.